Before going any further, I should let you in on a secret: interviewers are nervous as well. They are tasked with hiring someone to fit a job and must make their important decision based of a short meeting with someone they've never met before. That means that your interviewer is anxious to find out if you can do the job and if you'll fit the team—all in half an hour.

This points to what is actually happening at the interview: information exchange. Just like in dating, you're trying to establish if there is mutual interest and compatibility. Just as the employer needs to know if you're going to fit into the existing team, you need to decide if you would fit and, indeed, if you want to fit. Let's see how you can optimize the experience. Make sure you get the job you want and, perhaps more importantly, ensure you don't end up with a lemon.

Preparing Yourself
"Know you enemy" is a classic military saying. "Know your prospective employer" works just as well. Find out as much as you possibly can about them, including products (if appropriate), customers, press releases, management changes, and anything else juicy. The Web is a fantastic tool for this. Don't just rely on their Web site for information; search like crazy for any references and learn as much as you possibly can about them. If you can't find out exactly what they do via the Web—which might be the case for new companies or some government agencies—call them and ask.

Not all companies are as rosy on the inside as they appear on the outside. This isn't information that a company is likely to plaster on the home page of their Web site, but you can still try and find out. Find out whether any friends or friends of friends work there. Check out Internet newsgroups and discussion areas. Every company has some hard times and plenty of politics, so treat anything that you do find out with healthy skepticism. These gems are, however, well worth knowing.

All this information—official and unofficial—is useful for two reasons. First, it helps you decide whether you really do want to work for them. Second, it provides material for you to talk about in the interview. As an interviewer, I always rate a candidate who has bothered to research our company higher than one who comes in cold. That little extra bit of initiative marks you out.

Once in the interview, use your newfound knowledge to find out more. A new job is a major life change, so you want to get it right. Don't hesitate to ask questions, as long as they are polite. Don't expect to remember your questions, either, so write them down! Take the list with you and check them off as you ask. Interviewers should be happy to answer them and encourage you to do so.

This is also a good time to be sure that you do actually know at least something about the technologies you claim to know on your résumé. If you've not hacked servlets for a few months, dig out a book and skim over it to refresh your memory. (The O'Reilly Nutshell series books are great for this.)

Dressing the Part
This might seem a strange topic to include in this new-economy, new-millennium era but dress code still counts. You don't want to shock your interviewers either way. Don't turn up at a bank in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts; likewise, an Internet startup will be dazed and confused by a three-piece suit. Suitable dress is something you need to check out ahead of time, if you don't already know. The simplest solution is to call and ask, but if you can't do that, just go by the office ahead of time and check out the reception area. See who comes in and goes out—and what they're wearing.

Here's a simple rule: be comfortable and don't shock. Make sure that what you're wearing matches the expectations of the prospective employer and allows you to breath and bend. Oh, and in case it wasn't clear: wear clean clothes, please!

The Don't Shock rule is pretty basic for attending an interview, but you'd be amazed at how some people behave. In one instance, a candidate for a system admin position bullied my co-interviewer. It was astounding. This person was obviously used to browbeating his coworkers into submission and was trying it out in the interview room. Needless to say he did not get the job. He certainly wasn't applying the next rule: listen.

Listening
Listening is amazingly difficult to do, especially if you are nervous. It's much easier to babble on in an uncontrolled manner than to pay attention to what the other person is saying. So practice listening. I'm a great fan of active listening as set out in Madelyn Burley-Allen's classic book, Listening, the Forgotten Skill (John Wiley & Sons, 1995). Get it and read it before any interviews.

When the interviewer asks you a question, have your ears wide open and flapping. If you don't understand the question ask for clarification rather than trying to guess at the right answer. It might sound easy, even stupid, when you read this now, but in the stress of the moment it requires serious concentration not to goof up.

Some interviews may include technical aptitude tests. While these are primarily to assess your problem-solving skills and specific domain knowledge, they do also test your ability to understand questions. No one is going to be impressed by your stunning logic and impeccable knowledge of the Win32 API if you use them to solve the wrong problem.

A special word for those of you who are interviewing in something other than your native tongue: The interviewer will make an effort to be clearly comprehensible, but you will need to listen extra carefully. Misunderstanding make a much worse impression than asking for something to be repeated.

Watching Body Language
Look out for their body language. A restless, uncomfortable interviewer probably means that things are going badly. Perhaps you're talking too much, so your best plan would be to shut up; perhaps you're off subject, so the earlier you pick that up, the better.

Your body language counts, too. Don't stare at your feet and mumble, or sit radiating some kind of arrogant "hire me now while you have the chance" messages. Try and express enthusiasm and energy—both highly prized characteristics.

Listening and observing body language are so far removed from programming that many techies find it difficult and embarrassing to think about and perfect. Surely we'll be judged in a rational way on our skills, won't we? Sadly, no. Even software developers have feelings, and development managers know that you need people who can work together. It's that synergy that makes or breaks development groups.

Getting into Startup City
I'm a startup person. I love the chaos and energy inherent in early-stage companies. With the Internet boom and bust, startups have hit the news big-time. Suddenly everyone wants to be part of this strange world. Unfortunately, not everyone will enjoy the ride. Many will prefer to get back on the more stable ground in an established company.

Startups pose a particular problem for interviews, especially when they don't occur in an office. You may find yourself being interviewed in a restaurant, someone's front room, or in a meeting room borrowed from an investor. All this makes for an interesting interview.

Even if the startup does have an office, it doesn't always mean they have furniture, privacy, or—for that matter—people with interviewing skills. It may well be the first time that your interviewer—a budding entrepreneur—has interviewed a techie, and he or she may well have no idea how to do it. You can help them out if you think this is the circus for you, or just bail out if you're looking for a more structured environment.

It's through this kind of exposure that interviews help both sides of the table figure out whether this is the right job for you. It's part technical skills assessment and part touchy-feely stuff. Both sides are stressed, so any reactions are likely to be exaggerated. It makes sense, therefore, to be as prepared as possible. Have confidence in your abilities and get a grounding in the prospective employer so that you can talk sensibly with them.